White House candidates invited to Fresno
By Matt Leedy / The Fresno Bee07/17/07 11:08:41

The invitation will soon be in the mail: presidential candidates, stop by Fresno for more than a fundraiser.

The Fresno City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to invite presidential hopefuls to a town hall meeting where they would be asked to speak about local concerns.

Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain and Democrat John Edwards have visited Fresno this year for fundraisers attended by select audiences.

Council Member Brian Calhoun, who pitched the town hall idea, wants all candidates to gather in Fresno for an open forum that could be attended by anyone. And he wants to hear more than stump speeches.

Fresnans deserve to hear where the presidential hopefuls stand on issues important to the Valley, such as immigration, Calhoun said.

The city of Fresno will ask candidates to swing by before California's Feb. 5, 2008, primary election. Council Member Larry Westerlund wants the candidates to address the Valley's need for more federal money to clean up air pollution and increase water storage from Sierra Nevada runoff.

http://www.fresnobee.com/406/story/87883.html

This is a great idea!